The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1887-08-11
A HISTORIC ISLAND.
The Place Where Aaron Burr Tricked
Poor Blennerhassett.
Baltimore Home Journal.

history CuaL uaS IeCOlueu Iie lo'
mances and intrigues of Blennerhas-
set Island will soon have to devote
another page to the disappearance of
the celebrated isle itself. For many
years the sandy soil has been sue
cumbing slowly, but surely, to the
waters, and every successive rise in
the Ohio has reduced the size Of the
plot more and more; but very lately
it has met with it's worst disaster.
Running south into about the centre
the river has cut channel which has
now caused an immense washout al.
most directly in the middle of the
island. An immense excavation has
thus been created, and there are
signs of similar holes appearing in
other parts of the farm. One of the
t5b:resss ,!aEsngers residing there is try
ing hard to sell bis pi5ea iS5eaerty: He is
about frightened off: Steamboat cap
tains tell their passengers of the fate
with which other islands have met,
and in pointing out the sites Of lost
land, predict the entire swallowing
up of Blennerhassett's before many
years have passed away. Only the
other day vessel steaming towards
Pittsburg caught on the branches Of
tree which had been undermined
at the edge of the island, and had a
hard tussle to get away uninjured.
AS if prophetic of it's doom, the crops
of the island are poorer this year
than ever before; and it has always
been regarded as the most valuable
agricultural property in West Vir-
ginia.
Perhaps no spot on the Ohio has
such an interesting history as Blen.
nerhassett's Island. Its lore is that
of the nation itself. 1t was here that
Aaron Burr's treachery was practi-
cally checked, and the triumph Of
that event is mellowed by the sadness
of the fall Of poor old man Blenner-
hassett-the dupe of Burr. Over a
century ago this gentleman settled
on the island, building himself de-
lightful residence, and ever afterward
dispensing most elegant hospitality.
Harman Blennerhassett was born in
1859 in England. He was bred to
the law in Ireland, but sold his
estate in that country for more than
100000, and came to the United
States. After remaining in New
York short time he emigrated to
the west and took up the island,
which is just few miles south of
Parkersburg, W. Va.
Here it was that Aaron Burr inter-
ested him in his scheme for seizing
Mexico, where, in case of success,
Burr was to be emperor. Theodosia
Alston, Burr's daughter, was to be
empress. Blennerhassett expended
large sums in fitting out an expcdi-
tion, and, though discouraged when
he learned of Burr's designs, the in
triguer had such influence with Blen-
nerhassett's wife that the old man
still adhered to him. After becom.
ing thoroughly interested in Burr's
visionary enterprise, Blennerhassett
took him over to the town of Mari.
eta, O., for the purpose of ofpurchasing
supplies for the voyage.
At the counting house Of Dudley,
Woodbridge G. Co., he left a memo
randum of such provisions as he
wanted. They included pork, -four,
whiskey, bacon and kiln.dried meal.
They also made a contract with this
firm for the building of fifteen beats.
They were to be on the Schenectady
model, such as we're then used on the
Mohawk river. Only eleven of the
boats were completed. These were
butt on the Muskingun river about
seven miles above Marietta, and
were to be delivered on the 9th of
December, 1906. At that date fur
ther work was interrupted by the
militia, who, discovering Burr's plans,
took possession of the boats. The
days following were lively times on
Blennerhasset's island, Burr and
Blennerhassett both having to 60
heavily armed to protect themselves
against suspicious citizens. When
later on they both fled to Cincinnati
and the south, Mrs. Blennerhassett
showed her loyalty to her husband
by sending her trustworthy servant,
Peter Taylor, after the old gentle
man to bring him back.
Blennerhassett was arrested in
1907 and held for trial as q traitor,
but Burr's acquittal set all suspected